Biography

The Legacy of Atlantis

Two great modern-age Empires are home to Imperial Age: Russia and Great Britain, since leader and co-founder Alexander “Aor” Osipov has always lived between these two worlds, his family being from Ayr, Scotland, while he himself resides in Moscow, Russia.

But that is not what Imperial Age is about.

Formed in 2012 by Alexander Osipov and Jane Odintsova in Moscow and endorsed by genre founder Christofer Johnsson (Therion) himself, today Imperial Age is Russia’s most successful symphonic metal act and the country’s second most internationally touring metal band.

And no wonder, because Imperial Age have brought the idea of symphonic metal (and metal in general) to its highest maximum, elevating the innate qualities of the genre – loftiness, solemnity, grandeur and overall majesty – to the highest spiritual altitudes known to rock music in their new opus magnum, the metal opera “Legacy of Atlantis”.

The album was recorded, mixed and mastered by Sergei Lazar (Arkona) with guests such as Nalle Pahlsson, Christian Vidal and Thomas Vikstrom of Therion and the Moscow Conservatory Chamber Choir. The record includes some of the best written Imperial Age songs and features four singers: Aor, Jane, Anna Moiseeva and Thomas Vikstrom. Speed/Power metal anthems such as “And I Shall Find My Home” and “The Escape” harmoniously coexist with thoughtful mid-tempo compositions like “Life Eternal” and “Love Eternal”. The ballads “Monastery” and “Islands in Time” fully unfold the two female voices while heavy metal marches “The Awakening” and “Domini Canes” show the best of the male part of the line-up. And last but not least, the brightest gem of the album – the epic choral symphony “The Legacy of Atlantis” will send goosebumps down your spine while images of the great but tragic ancient past go speeding in front of your eyes…

However, the lyrics on his record are just as important as the music. Imperial Age is not about modern-day empires. Instead, it is about the great civilisations which preceded the one we live in now.

Aor explains: “There is an occult legend, which is at the root of modern magick. Now here I mean the real thing, not the mass-media image, although recently there have been surprisingly good depictions of the topic in blockbuster movies, which is a good sign for us. According to the legend, 65 000 years ago a great, a highly advanced empire ceased to exist. It was a global civilisation covering not only planet Earth, but also distant colonies in other star systems. Its technological achievements are still unmatched today, being ahead of what we have now by approximately 5000 years, if we continue evolving at the same pace. All modern religions, mystical, magical and occult traditions have one root – Atlantic knowledge. Although long perished, the spirit of Atlantis is still at the core of the modern world, the ancient lore driving progress in the restoration of civilisation on the planet, through unifying and connecting humankind.

Over the millennia following the demise of Atlantis, many magical orders have served the cause of rebuilding the great civilisation through forcing the development of our world: the founders and priests of Ancient Egypt, the Orphics of Ancient Greece, the Templars of Medieval Europe, the Rosenkreuz, the Freemasons, the Golden Dawn and others, less known but much more potent. We are, in some sense, the descendants of that line, only we play Heavy Metal.”

Today, Imperial Age use the most influential form of art (music) in its most powerful and diverse genre (symphonic metal) to inspire, empower and fill the souls and hearts of people with purest energy that enables to accomplish great deeds. This is the type of music that can change people’s destinies.

This is not the type of metal that drives into depression. And this is not the type of metal that entertains. Imperial Age does what Heavy Metal has always been meant to do – to elevate and inspire, to fill with power and belief, to open up the way towards greatness and to illuminate The Path for those seeking to tread upon it.

Backed up by the colossal might of ancient forces, the great Imperial Age has begun. Tune in, and become part of the great cause that spans through millennia!

The Road So Far

In 2012 we founded Imperial Age with Jane Odintsova. We recorded Turn The Sun Off!, filmed 2 video clips and released the record by ourselves with our own money (most of it borrowed) in November of the same year. We didn’t have a team, so we simply hired our friends and colleagues from the local Russian metal scene.

In 2013-2014 we mostly played as support acts for international bands visiting Russia: Epica, Paradise Lost, Finntroll, OOMH!, The 69 Eyes, Tarja and Therion. We also played a few headliner shows in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kazan. Two of them with an 8-person choir and an 8-person orchestra )

In 2014 the breaking moment came. In September, we went on a month-long expedition to Tibet. We visited many magical places, to some of which westerners have never been admitted before. And in the end we did a Cora around Mt. Kailash. It is said that it helps to realise one’s inner dreams and most sacred goals… A month after that we were opening for Therion in St. Petersburg. All the time during the concert Christofer Johnsson was sitting behind the stage so that the crowd would not notice him, listening to the music. After the show he gave our music a very high assessment. Since that time we have been good friends and we are now.

In a few months he offered us to distribute our CDs via his label Adulruna Records. And after another few months he offered us to join Therion on a European tour. Christofer is the person who made us known and we are endlessly grateful to him and will always be!! he made our metalhead’s dream come true – when one of your idols becomes your friend in mentor. Now how probable is that?? ))

So, in 2016 we released the EP Warrior Race via Adulruna. It had only 3 new songs, the rest were from Turn the Sun Off!, recorded with Alexandra Sidorova, and a To Mega Therion cover, which Christofer wrote was the best Therion cover ever. And then our first international tour followed. After it we had problems with the team – and Alexandra parted.

Then you guys gave us 3600 Eur to record our new album.
We had to find a new soprano, held auditions and found Anna KiaRa, who has been with us ever since.
And then came another tour same year – this time with Orphaned Land! After that tour we lost almost all of our band members due to inner disputes within the band…

In 2017 we had the toughest year so far. There was a huge frenzy with the new album because once again Christofer offered us to join him on tour, but this time it would be the biggest tour ever for both bands – 57 shows in 25 countries!!! Of course this was an offer no one in their right minds would even consider skipping )) So we were in a huge stress, we needed to a) finish composing and recording the new album b) find a new team of musicians capable of sustaining such a huge tour and c) do other things not related to music – like work, because the band wasn’t bringing enough money to life off.

2017 was a year of total stress and big promises. We were working at a terrible pace with Sergei Lazar to finish recording all the vocalists and produce the album on time. Once again we had no team, so we asked Nalle Påhlsson to record bass and rhythm guitars, Christian Vidal to record the solos, Ischenko Andrey to record the drums and they did a great job in a very short amount of time, and thanks to them we managed it on time. Thomas Vikström sang his part on Domini Canes same day I sent it to him!

And at the same time, we spent countless hours auditioning new musicians for ourselves…

We made the album JUST in time to take it on tour. AND IT WAS SO MUCH WORTH IT!!!!

We found ourselves a great new team! Paul Maryashin, Max Talion and Dima Belf proved themselves tremendously during the huge tour that followed. The sales of Legacy of Atlantis have so far ripped the previous two releases without even a single review online or advertising before release and without any support from a major label! The tour was a fantastic experience and a great success for us.

After the tour, the sales of our merch did not stop! They did not fade away and we ship something to you folks every second day. We have a huge increase in online streams on Spotify, Apple Music etc. The CDs are still not in stores because we sold everything on tour ))) They are coming there, though.

We have put up the crowdfunding perks that we had promised 2 years ago and have rewarded our benefactors – YOU!!

This has been an amazing year and a very tough year for us. But we bow down to our fans and we say THANK YOU VERY MUCH for your great support, without which this would have never been possible!!! Thank you for believing in us, we will never fail you! And we will soon start working on our next album and lets make all of this HUGE – TOGETHER!

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